Of Diners and Cold New York Nights
by Trapped in a MatchBox
Summary: Maddie asks Kate to babysit her 5-year-old son for a night. Kate doesn't know what to do with a kid, having no previous experience. Castle shows up. Fluff ensues.
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: So I started writing this because I've been in a weird mood all day and I needed to do something to cheer me up. This is what came out of it. I hope it cheers you up too.**

**It will be a two-shot because this just got way too long. I tend to get carried away sometimes.**

**Disclaimer: Still don't own Castle. I just like to play with them every now and then.**

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><p><strong>Of Diners and Cold New York Nights<strong>

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><p>It had been a slow day at the 12th Precinct.<p>

A_ very_ slow day.

Detective Kate Beckett sat with her legs propped up on her shadow's chair, lazily playing a game of Angry Birds. It was almost 6pm and she would be off duty for the next 48 hours. Even though today had been slow, she felt really tired. Doing nothing, she realized, was pretty damn exhausting.

She had already cleared the stack of paper work that had been decorating her desk for the past few weeks, reviewed a couple of cold cases, checked her e-mail, the news and even ventured in the Twitter verse, quietly laughing to herself at her partner's antics on the internet.

Speaking of said partner, he had been MIA for the past twenty-four hours which was completely unlike him. She knew he was busy with the release of the fourth Nikki Heat book, but she hadn't heard from him for an entire day. She begrudgingly admitted to herself that she was starting to get worried and she would track his sorry ass down if he didn't contact her in the next couple of hours.

Her phone suddenly started ringing in her hands, which made her fail her current level in Angry Birds, which in turn, pissed her off. Whoever it was, they had just better have a damn good reason for interrupting her game.

Then she realized what she was thinking and rolled her eyes at herself.

She was spending way too much time with Castle.

"Beckett." She answered the phone with her detective tone, completely out of habit.

"Hey, Becks. You busy?" Her friend Maddie's voice chimed in her ear and Kate smiled. They hadn't talked in a while and she missed her.

"Not really, no. What's up, Maddie?" she asked, relaxing back in her chair.

"Well, I'm kind of in the middle of a situation and I was wondering if you could help me out." She said slowly and Kate sighed. Same old Maddie, she thought to herself.

"What did you do?" she questioned apprehensively and her friend laughed.

"It's nothing illegal, Becks. Geez, you have no faith in me whatsoever, do you?" Maddie said exasperated.

"Not really, no." Kate laughed. "So what can I do for you, Ms. Queller?"

"I kind of needed a huge favor." She said in a timid voice.

"Yes…" Kate encouraged her, already dreading whatever she was about to ask.

"Could you watch Tommy tonight? Please?"

"Maddie…" Kate sighed and closed her eyes for a moment.

She had close to zero experience with children and the only times she had been around Maddie's 5-year-old son, she had had other people with her to serve as a buffer.

"Becks, please? I'll owe you big time. I have a date with this guy and I really think he could be the one, you know? He dropped everything to see me tonight. I don't want to screw this up." She practically begged. "Please? It's just for tonight and I'll pick him up first thing in the morning, I swear."

Kate was silent for a beat, weighing the pros and cons of babysitting a 5-year-old on a Friday night. The cons were definitely not tipping the scale in Maddie's favor. However, against her better judgment, Kate found herself agreeing to help her friend out.

"Okay, fine. I'm going home in about half an hour. You can drop him off at my place around 7:30. Does that work?"

"Oh, Becks, you're a life savior! Thank you, thank you, thank you!" Maddie said, excited. "I owe you big time. And don't worry about Tommy, you know he won't give you much trouble."

"Yeah, because against all odds, he didn't turn out like you." Kate teased and her friend laughed, agreeing wholeheartedly. "You're lucky I'm not on call this weekend."

"You didn't have any plans, did you? You and that writer of yours maybe?"

"Nope."

"Seriously? You guys still haven't done the deed?" she asked incredulously.

"Maddie, don't push your luck. I'll see you and Tommy in a couple of hours." Kate effectively ended the conversation and Maddie – fortunately – took the hint.

"Alright, I'll see you soon. Thank you so much, Becks."

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><p>True to her word, Beckett unlocked her apartment's door at 6:30pm, closing the door behind her. Dropping her keys on the coffee table and her purse on the couch, she took a moment to stretch her overworked body and look around to see if there was anything she should put away before Tommy arrived. Thankfully, she had gone on a cleaning spree just the week before and had barely been here in the past few days to make a mess.<p>

Thank God for small favors.

With a sigh, she made her way to the bathroom. She still had an hour before they got there so she decided she would enjoy that time relaxing in a warm bath. Starting to fill the bathtub, she took her phone out of her pocket and remembered she was supposed to track Castle down. Shooting him a quick text asking where the hell he was, she took off her clothes and enjoyed her bath for a half hour.

When she stepped out of the tub, quickly wrapping a towel around herself, she noticed she had a new text message. Castle's name immediately appeared on her screen.

_Paula and Gina have been torturing me with endless boring meetings. I could use some cheering up._

She smiled and rolled her eyes at his dramatic flare and texted him back.

_Well, I'm glad you survived._

Putting her phone down on her nightstand, Kate threw on a pair of jeans and a t-shirt, hoping this was an appropriate outfit to babysit a little boy. She had absolutely no idea what she was going to do to entertain him for the next few hours.

She made her way to the kitchen and examined the contents of her fridge. She had some leftover Chinese from last night and that would have to do for dinner. She hoped against hope Maddie wouldn't leave the task of making Tommy dinner in her hands.

Just as she was putting her dinner in the microwave, her doorbell rang.

Shit.

She hadn't even had a chance to eat.

Kate took a deep breath and walked to the door. She could do this. It was just a kid. How hard could it be, right?

Opening the door, she met quite an adorable scene. Tommy was hiding his face against his mom's leg, holding tightly to her hand. Maddie looked anxious and excited all at the same time.

"Oh, Becks, thank you so much again." She said, pulling Kate in for a quick hug.

"No problem. We'll be okay, won't we, little man?" Kate ruffled his light brown hair and smiled when the boy blushed.

"Go on, baby. Say hi to your Aunt Kate." Maddie encouraged and Tommy shyly waved. "Now you be good. Mommy will come and pick you up tomorrow morning, alright?" she knelt down in front of him and hugged him. "Love you, munchkin."

"Love you too, mama." Kate heard him say against his mother's hair.

Maddie stood up and gently pushed him towards Kate, handing her a bag with his things. Kate touched the boy's shoulders softly. It was amazing how completely _not_ like Maddie he was.

"I'll see you guys tomorrow. Be good to Aunt Kate, Thomas. Becks, you're the best." She said with a smile and Kate chuckled.

"Have fun. I hope this guy is really all that much." She teased and Maddie winked and waved goodbye as she entered the elevator. "Well, it's you and me now, sweetie." Kate looked down at him and brushed his hair away from his forehead. "Let's get inside."

She ushered the boy inside the apartment and closed the door. When she turned back to him, he was looking around the living room shyly. He was adorable. And she was at a complete loss about what to do with him.

"Let's get your stuff in your room." She decided she could start with the easy part.

"Okay." He nodded and took her hand. "I need to go potty, Aunt Kate." He said quietly when they passed by the bathroom.

"Alright, are you okay by yourself?" Kate asked and he nodded. "Then you go right in here. I'm going to put your bag in your room at the end of the hallway. Can you come find me when you're done?"

"Yeah." He nodded again and entered the bathroom.

Kate let out a sigh and made her way to the guest room. Leaving his bag on the bed, she looked around the room to check if everything was in order. When she looked back at the door, she found Tommy standing there.

"Hey, you all done?" she asked and he nodded. "Did you wash your hands?"

"I couldn't reach the sink. Would you help me?" he asked and she smiled, relieved that he seemed to be starting to feel more comfortable.

"Of course, little man. Come on."

She guided him back to the bathroom and picked him up so he could reach the faucet. He quickly washed his hands and turned the faucet off. She handed him a towel and he offered her a small, shy smile in return.

"So, have you had dinner yet?" she asked and he shook his head.

"I just had a snack before we left." He told her and she bit her lip.

"Are you hungry?" she asked, trying to think of what she could offer him. She came to the conclusion that she didn't have much in her fridge and it wouldn't be the best thing to give him Chinese leftovers.

"A little." He said and looked up at her expectantly.

"Tell you what, why don't you go grab your coat and we'll go grab something to eat. How's that?" she suggested and he smiled, running off in the direction of the guest room.

Well, that was progress, Kate thought to herself with a proud smile.

"I'm ready, Aunt Kate." She heard his voice and turned around.

He ran back to her side, struggling to put his gloves on. It was early November and New York was already freezing. Kate knelt down and helped him with the gloves, then placed his dark green hat on his head. The color really brought out his green eyes and Kate allowed herself to wonder if her kid – if she ever had one - would look anything like him. Zipping up his coat and putting hers on, she took his hand and led him out of the apartment, after grabbing her purse and keys.

They waited patiently for the elevator, Kate making an effort to keep him talking. She asked about his school and he was starting to tell her about his friends when the doors opened.

"Beckett?" she heard his voice and looked at the elevator, only to find Castle standing there, holding a wine bottle.

"Castle, hey. What are you doing here?" she asked surprised, but couldn't fight the smile that appeared on her lips. She had missed him a lot, after all. Even if it had been only a day.

"Didn't you get my text? I told you I…" he started to say, but lost his train of thought when he noticed the little boy holding onto Kate's hand. "Who's this?" he asked curiously.

"Oh." Kate looked down at Tommy, who was looking shyly at the very tall man in front of him. "This is Tommy, Maddie's son."

"Your high school friend, Maddie?" he asked and she nodded. "I didn't even know she had a kid."

"Long story." Kate shot him a look and shook her head. He took the hint. "Anyway, I'm babysitting tonight. We're going out to get something to eat, if you want to join us."

"Sure, I'd love to. Can I just drop this off at your place?"

He showed her the bottle and she nodded, handing him her keys. In the past year, they had gotten incredibly close and giving him her keys was a common occurrence with them now. So was hanging out on Friday nights whenever they didn't have any ongoing investigations.

Castle took the keys and leaned in to place a kiss on her cheek.

"Missed you, KB." He whispered in her ear and she fought the shiver that desperately wanted to run through her body at the contact.

She smiled at him happily.

"Missed you too, Castle." She admitted and he beamed at her. "Now go, hurry. I've got a child to feed." She shooed him away and chuckled at his pouting.

"Is that your boyfriend?" Tommy asked once Castle disappeared into her apartment. Kate looked down surprised and laughed.

"No, he's my best friend." She explained, although even she could hear the longing in her voice, which was pretty pathetic.

"I think he likes you." He told her conspiratorially and Kate smiled.

"I know." She whispered to the kid and looked up to find Castle locking her door. "Come on, Castle." She urged him and he jogged to the elevator, touching the small of her back as they entered. "So, Tommy, this is Rick Castle. Castle, this is my buddy Tommy." She introduced them and Castle offered his hand for the boy to shake.

"Nice to meet you, Mr. Castle." He said shyly and shook Castle's hand.

"Nice to meet you too, Tommy. And you can call me Rick. Mr. Castle makes me feel old." He joked and Tommy smiled.

"You are old." Kate teased, nudging his side with her elbow.

"You're not helping my case here, KB." He pouted and Tommy laughed. "So where are we going?"

"I don't know. What do you feel like eating, little man?" she asked and Tommy looked thoughtful for a moment.

"Can I have a burger?" he asked hopefully and bit on his bottom lip.

Kate looked at Castle for an opinion but he only shrugged.

"Sure." She put her arm around his shoulder and pulled him close and was relieved when he relaxed against her leg.

Castle smiled at her and touched the small of her back again.

"I know just the place."

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><p><strong>AN: Love it? Hate it? Too fluffy?**


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: You guys are awesome. That is all. Thank you.**

**Disclaimer: I just own Tommy. **

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><p><strong>Of Diners and Cold New York Nights<strong>

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><p><strong>Chapter 2<strong>

The diner Castle had in mind wasn't far from her apartment. According to Castle, that is. They left her building and joined the ever going parade of New Yorkers on the sidewalk, Kate holding tightly to Tommy's hand. She was terrified of losing him in the crowd, but she didn't really need to worry as the little boy held onto her hand happily.

He seemed to have lost his previous shyness as Castle talked animatedly with him on their way to the diner. The hand that had been previously touching the small of her back, now held her hand, so they wouldn't get separated. At least that's what he used as an excuse when she shot him a questioning look, eyebrow raised. She shrugged and kept her hand in his. It was cold and his hand was providing warmth to her freezing fingers.

Or so she told herself.

The pretense flew out the window when he slowly entwined his fingers with hers, his thumb gently caressing her skin. She shot him another questioning, amused look and this time he just shrugged and offered her a small grin. She shook her head at his actions, but squeezed his hand reassuringly.

She was tired of fighting this – whatever this was between them – as well.

"… and then Jamie told the other girls that I was her best friend, but they kept calling me her boyfriend." Kate tuned back in to the conversation Tommy and Castle were currently in.

"Are you?" Castle asked with a grin.

"Her boyfriend?" Tommy asked and Castle nodded. "No, she's my best friend. She lives next door to me and mom." He explained patiently. "She is the only one who plays with me at school. The other boys don't like me very much."

"Why is that, sweetie?" Kate gave his shoulder a comforting squeeze and Tommy shrugged.

"Dunno. But Jamie is always with me, so it's fine. She's really cool." He smiled and Kate smiled back. "We built a fort in her living room the other day. It was huge!" he gestured wildly with his free hand and she chuckled. "Then we came up with this story that she was a princess and I had to save her. It was really fun."

"You know, Rick here loves to make up stories." Kate told him and the boy looked up at Castle curiously.

"Really?" he asked and Rick nodded.

"I love to build forts too. Used to do it all the time with my daughter." Castle told him and Tommy looked up at him in awe.

"But you're a grown up." He frowned and Castle shrugged.

"So? Do you think only kids can do that?" he said in mock outrage. Tommy looked at him confused.

"That's what my mom says when I ask her to build a fort with me." He explained with a shrug.

"Tommy, my man, when we get back to Kate's, I'm going to show you how to build the coolest fort _ever_." He promised and then seemed to realize what he had just said. "I mean, if that's alright with Kate, of course." He backpedalled sheepishly, making her chuckle at the guilty look on his face.

"Sure, don't worry about it." She squeezed his hand one more time and he smiled happily.

"Awesome! Thanks, Aunt Kate." Tommy chimed excitedly. "This is going to be so cool, Rick." His smile was infectious. "Look, it's snowing!" He was practically bouncing with excitement.

Sure enough, small white flecks were slowly drifting to the ground. It was the first snowfall of the season and Kate couldn't help but smile. She had always loved the city during the winter, covered in white.

"It sure is. Do you like it when it snows, buddy?" she asked him and he nodded happily.

"Last year me and Jamie made a snowman on Christmas. We even put a face on him. Eyes, mouth, nose, everything." He told her proudly.

"That sounds really nice, sweetie." She nodded and he continued on explaining the entire process of building a snowman. "Thank you." She whispered to Castle and he turned to her questioningly.

"For what?" he whispered back and she nodded in Tommy's direction.

"For helping me with him. For everything, really." She told him after a beat, feeling shy all of a sudden. But he seemed to understand exactly what she meant. As usual.

"Always, Kate."

He smiled softly at her and brought their joined hands to his lips, kissing her skin gently. She felt a slight shiver run through her that had nothing to do with the cold. He grinned at her reaction and dropped her hand, deciding to wrap an arm around her shoulder instead, pulling her close. Kate leaned her head against his shoulder and bit her bottom lip.

They were really doing this, she thought to herself, feeling apprehensive and excited at the same time. Sure they had gotten a lot closer this past year – especially since everything that had happened in May – but this was uncharted territory for them. They had crossed the physical barrier so completely that she wasn't sure what to do with herself.

"Look, Aunt Kate, I caught one." Tommy showed her the rapidly melting snowflake in his tiny hand. She chuckled at the happiness expressed all over his face and stopped walking.

"Try this way." She made sure he was watching her intently before turning her face up and opening her mouth. A small fleck fell on her tongue and melted instantly. Tommy jumped up and down in excitement.

"Let me try, let me try." He told her and promptly copied her moves. When the snowflake touched his tongue, he giggled. "I did it!" he turned to her in childish glee.

"High five, little man." Castle said and Tommy offered his hand for the gesture. "Way to go." He congratulated the boy, reaching over Kate with his free hand to tickle him. Tommy squealed and tried to escape. "We're here." He announced with a laugh and Kate turned to see that they had coincidently stopped to catch snow right in front of the diner.

"Have we been here before?" she asked curiously and Castle shook his head.

"No, but this is where I got those burgers you loved from last week." He explained.

"Oh, those were great." She grinned. "Very wise choice, Mr. Castle." She teased and he grinned back at her, kissing her temple.

"I've been known to be a very wise man." He told her seriously and she laughed, shaking her head amusedly.

"Sure, Castle. Whatever you say." She nudged him as a waitress led them to a booth.

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><p>"That was the best burger ever." Tommy sighed and relaxed against Kate's side, completely full.<p>

"Glad you liked it, Tommy."

Castle smiled at the boy's sleepy look and turned to look at Kate, who seemed to be looking wistfully at the little boy. Reaching out, he took her hand in his, intertwining their fingers once again. He wasn't entirely sure of his moves, but she didn't seem to mind his advances. Not tonight. He didn't know what had changed, but he wasn't going to let this opportunity pass by. She looked up at him with a quick smile and rubbed her thumb over his skin gently.

"Tired, buddy?" Kate asked and Tommy nodded. She wrapped an arm around the boy and he relaxed further into her side with a sleepy sigh.

"Are you still up for that fort?" Castle asked him and he nodded again, more enthusiastically this time. "That's my boy." He chuckled and Tommy bumped fists with him. He turned to Kate, squeezing her hand to catch her attention. "Should we get the check or do you want anything else?"

"No, I'm good. We should go, it's late." She told him and he checked his watch. It was almost 10pm already. "And this one is going to be out soon." She nodded at Tommy, who was comfortably snoozing against her side.

"Okay, I got it." He told her and she glared at him as he pulled out a couple of twenties from his wallet.

"Castle…" she warned, but he ignored her and left the money on the table.

"You can pay for the next one." He teased and she rolled her eyes, moving slowly so not to wake the already sleeping little boy next to her. "Want me to get him?"

"Would you? Thanks." She smiled at him as he took Tommy in his arms. "Ready to go?" she asked and he reached out a hand in her direction. She took it after half a second of hesitation.

They walked out of the diner and through the streets of New York quietly for a few minutes. Her hand was safely tucked in his and he was still marveling at the fact that she was allowing him to touch her like this in public.

Was this it? Was this finally the right moment for them?

"How was your day?" he heard her ask quietly and he shifted Tommy slightly in his arms to hold him better. The boy didn't even stir.

"Endless. I really hate this part. Boring meetings, press tour… I think I'm getting too old for that." He confessed and she squeezed his hand comfortingly. "And I didn't get to see you all day, so that part sucked too."

He shot her a quick smile and she boldly mimicked his action from earlier, raising their joined hands and kissing his skin. He looked at her surprised, a slow smile spreading on his face.

"But this right here is making my whole day better." He winked at her and she blushed slightly.

"Shut up." She mumbled, but entwined her fingers with his. "Do you still want to come up and hang out?" she asked as they reached her building's entrance.

"Do you even have to ask?" he teased her and she rolled her eyes, a small smile playing on her lips.

They made their way into the elevator and she pushed the 4th floor button. The ride up was silent, but comfortable. Stepping out of the elevator, they walked silently to her door and Castle waited patiently for her to unlock it. In a way, he felt like a giddy teenager about to make out with a girl for the first time.

"Can you put him in the guest room?" she asked quietly and he nodded.

Now that they were inside, the silence seemed a hundred times louder. Castle carried the sleeping boy through the apartment and gently lowered him to the bed. He stirred for a moment, but Rick reassured him everything was okay and Tommy went right back to sleep. He tucked the covers around him and took a moment to watch him. He really was a cute kid, he thought with a smile.

When he turned to leave, he found Kate watching him from the doorway.

"You're good at this." She commented casually when he reached her, his hands immediately caressing her sides. He shrugged.

"Years of practice with Alexis." He told her and tucked a strand of her hair behind her ear, his hand lingering on her cheek. "You're not so bad yourself, you know? You were great with him tonight."

"I had no idea what I was going to do with him when Maddie brought him over." She confessed and he chuckled.

"Guess you're just a natural." He said and leaned in slowly, giving her a way out.

She didn't move, but he decided to go for her cheek first. He touched her skin with his lips, lingering for a few seconds, and heard her let out a sigh. Encouraged by this, he moved to the other side and repeated the action, but this time trailing his lips down towards her neck. Another sigh escaped from her and he was sure he felt her shiver. Smiling slightly against her neck, he sucked gently on her pulse point, thrilled to feel her heart rate speed up and a gasp leave her lips.

He allowed his hands to wander and touch her sides, her hip and then pull her closer to him until she was completely pressed against his body. He still couldn't believe this was actually happening, finally. When she let out another quiet gasp, he pulled away to look at her and reassure himself this was really okay and that she wasn't going to shoot him.

He wasn't ready for the sight in front of him. Her eyes were of a vivid green, her pupils dilated with what he assumed – and hoped – was desire and her skin was flushed. She had never looked more beautiful than she did right then. He watched as she bit down on her bottom lip for a moment, her eyes never leaving his, and then the next thing he knew her lips were pressed against his.

And then fire.

It felt like he was being engulfed in flames as she wrapped her arms around his neck, pulling him impossibly closer. Then her tongue was dueling with his and he was not ashamed to admit he couldn't even remember his own name anymore. The feel of her body pressed tightly against his, her lips and tongue doing some pretty incredible things with his, all of it was almost too much for him to bear.

He felt her pull away breathlessly and they looked at each other for a moment. Her hair was disheveled, her skin was flushed and her lips swollen. And it was because of him. He did it. He almost felt like doing a happy dance. He watched as her chest rose and fell with each breath and ran his fingertips gently over the skin exposed by the V-neck of her shirt. Looking back up at her, he was surprised to find a small smile. Unable to hold back, he leaned in and kissed her lips softly, slowly. She returned in kind and soon they were being consumed by fire again.

It was too much. It was so good. He never wanted to let her go. He was never going to let her go. Right here in his arms, clinging to him as if her life depended on it, that's where she belonged. And that's where he was going to keep her, whether she liked it or not.

It was too late. He was in too deep.

Then a moan escaped her lips and her hips pressed harder against his. He couldn't control himself as he grasped her hips and pulled her tighter against him. The friction was doing amazing things to him and – by the other moan and gasps that escaped from her – he thought it was having the same effect on her too.

This right here was everything he ever wanted. He would have to thank Madison later for tonight, for he was sure Tommy had been their cupid.

Tommy. Wait.

Shit. Tommy. They were practically doing each other a few feet away from the little boy. This was so wrong on so many levels.

Shit.

Reluctantly – and it was probably one of the most difficult things he ever had to do in his life – he pulled away from her.

She was breathless again, her hair an adorable mess and her lips swollen and dark pink from his assault on them. She was gorgeous. God, he loved her. So much it hurt.

"What is it?" she asked breathlessly, her hands reaching up to touch his cheek. He turned his head slightly, kissed her palm.

"Tommy is here." He croaked out. Jesus, she had definitely messed with him if he could barely talk. He watched as realization dawned on her face and she immediately turned to the room.

"Shit. Please tell me he is still asleep. Maddie will kill me if I traumatize him like this." She said nervously and he chuckled, stealing another kiss from her.

"He's out for the night." He reassured her and Kate let out a breath in relief. "But we should at least get out of here."

She nodded and closed her eyes, still trying to catch her breath. She was so beautiful, he couldn't stop taking every single detail of her in.

"Come on." She took his hand and pulled him towards the living room. "Maybe we could have that wine now?" she suggested once they had reached the kitchen.

"Sure. I'll get the glasses." He told her and opened the cupboard, taking out two wine glasses and setting them on the kitchen table.

She was working on getting the cork out of the bottle. He wrapped his arms around her waist from behind and pulled her back against his chest. The feel of her skin, her smell, everything about her was intoxicating. He couldn't get enough of her.

"Is this really happening?" he murmured, mostly to himself, and she laughed quietly.

"Well, unless we're having the same dream, I'd say it's a pretty safe bet that it's all real." She looked at him over her shoulder, throwing a teasing smile his way that made his heart skip a beat.

Before she could turn back to the task at hand, he captured her lips in a searing kiss, leaving them both breathless once again.

"Yup, definitely real." He said when they broke apart. His heart skipped another beat at her breathless laugh. He stole another kiss. "Super real." He grinned and she rolled her eyes.

"I think we've established that, lover boy. Can I finish opening the wine now?"

She teased him and he pouted. She kissed his pout away. He turned around and wrapped her in his arms again, letting the fire consume them one more time. He wanted more. She was like a drug that he couldn't get enough of. God, what was she doing to him? And they were still fully clothed.

Somehow, they managed to stumble to her couch, collapsing on it in a tangle of limbs, lips and tongues. It was so good. It felt so good. He was never letting her go. Never.

Then he heard tiny footsteps through the haze in his brain, pulling away from her just in time.

"Aunt Kate?" a sleepy voice sounded through the room.

They pulled away from each other like they had been burned. He watched as Kate tried to smooth down her clothes and her hair quickly before turning to the sleepy child standing in the hallway.

He was holding onto a ragged old teddy bear and rubbing his eyes.

"Tommy." Kate said and took a deep breath. "Hi, sweetie. Is everything okay?" she made her way to him, kneeling down to his level.

"I'm thirsty." Tommy said and Rick watched as she smiled tenderly at the boy. She was going to be a wonderful mother some day.

"Let's get you some water, then. Come on." She offered her hand and he took it willingly, following her to the kitchen.

She poured the water into a glass and handed it to the little boy, who drank it thirstily. When he was done, he gave the glass back to her and she put it on the counter.

"Do you want to go back to sleep?" she asked gently and Tommy shook his head.

"Can we still build a fort, Rick?" he asked, turning to him. Rick looked questioningly at Kate, who shrugged.

"Sure we can." He smiled and looked apologetically to Kate. She smiled at him and shook her head. "Let's go find some sheets and pillows. This is going to be the best fort you've ever seen, kiddo."

Tommy smiled excitedly and followed Rick into the hallway.

* * *

><p>Hours later, Rick and Kate found themselves on the floor, inside the massive fort they had built for Tommy. He was lying on his back with Kate tucked into his side, her legs entwined with his. It was past 1am and they had put Tommy to bed a couple of hours before.<p>

Rick ran his fingers gently up and down her arm, listening to her breathing. Having her here, this way, still felt surreal. He was afraid of going to sleep and waking up tomorrow to find out it had all been a dream. If it was a dream, he never wanted to wake up.

"What are you thinking about?" her voice startled him. He had been sure she had already fallen asleep.

"Nothing. Everything. I don't know." He admitted and she reached up to press a kiss to his neck.

"Tell me." She whispered in his ear and he shivered. Her arm tightened around him.

"I don't want this to be just a dream." He confessed, embarrassed. She lifted herself up to look at him.

"This is not a dream, Rick. I promise." She smiled and leaned down to capture his lips with hers. "Go to sleep." She murmured against his lips. "We'll still be us in the morning. I'll still want to be with you. And we'll be able to do this right."

"No interruptions?" he asked jokingly and she chuckled.

"No interruptions." She kissed him again, longer this time.

"Promise?" he asked and blushed when he heard the insecurity in his own voice. Thank God it was dark.

"Cross my heart." She promised him and sealed it with a kiss.

"I'll hold you to that." He told her and held her tighter against him.

Please, God, don't let this be a dream, was the last conscious thought that ran through his mind.

Then her steady breathing lulled him to sleep.

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><p><strong>Thoughts?<strong>


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: I honestly had no intention of writing another chapter for this, but what can I say? You guys can be very persuasive. Thank you so much for all your support!**

**Disclaimer: Still not mine.**

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><p><strong>Of Diners and Cold New York Nights<strong>

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><p><strong>Chapter 3<strong>

The first thing Kate was aware of the next morning was that her back hurt. Then she realized she was sleeping on the floor for some reason, after touching the wooden surface beneath her. Why the hell was she sleeping on the floor when she had a perfectly comfortable (and big) bed in her room was a fact that was completely baffling to her at that moment, when sleep was still holding onto her tightly.

The next thing she became aware of was that sleep was not the only thing holding her, for she could feel warmth surrounding her and something was definitely weighing down on her chest. Opening her eyes – because curiosity finally won out – she first focused on the sheet that seemed to be serving as a ceiling.

Hm. Interesting.

Wait, why was there a sheet serving as ceiling?

A movement in the general direction of her chest followed by what sounded like a light snore distracted her from her inquiring thoughts and she looked down. The sight of brown hair sticking out in every direction met her eyes and she frowned, confused. Then realization dawned on her.

Castle.

Sleeping on her.

Wrapped around her, really.

Wow.

Another light snore escaped her writer and she smiled involuntarily. A hand moved out of its own accord and the next thing she knew, she was running her hand through his hair gently. Her touch seemed to stir him from sleep as she felt him move and tighten his hold on her. She waited patiently for him to wake up fully and felt a smile tugging her lips upward when he finally turned his head to look at her.

He blinked sleepily at her, frowning at first as if he couldn't decide if she was real or not, but soon smiled back.

"Hi." He croaked out and she pushed his hair away from his forehead.

"Hi." She answered, her voice soft, as she continued to run her fingers through his hair gently. He rested his head on her chest again and sighed contentedly.

"What time is it?" he asked after a few minutes in silence.

She stretched her body (as much as she could with Castle sprawled on top of her, that is) and brought her wrist up to check her watch.

"A little over 8." She said, rubbing her eyes sleepily, and yawned.

"Want to sleep some more?" Castle asked equally sleepily.

"Mhmm." It was all she could muster up the strength to reply.

She felt Castle moving around and she missed his warmth immediately when he moved away for a moment. Then suddenly, his arm was around her again and his face was now hidden in the crook of her neck. His lips pressed against her skin in a light caress and a sigh escaped her lips.

"Thank god it wasn't a dream." She heard him mumbling against her neck and chuckled, amused.

"I told you it wasn't, but you never listen to me." She teased him and gasped when he started sucking on her pulse point.

"I know. You were so right." He murmured and continued showering her skin with butterfly kisses.

She turned to her side and pulled him closer to her until their bodies were pressed against one another, legs intertwined.

"I'm always right, Castle." She told him jokingly before pressing her lips to his.

Just like the night before, an inferno seemed to engulf them. They kissed fiercely for a few minutes, tongues, lips and teeth battling. She let it go on until she was on the verge of losing control, but the fact that Tommy was still in the apartment made her slow things down. She did not want a repeat of last night.

"Is he awake?" He asked, still a little breathless. She leaned in and kissed him lightly.

"No idea." She sighed and relaxed with her head on his shoulder, her fingers tracing patterns on his back absentmindedly.

"Should we go check on him?" he kissed her forehead, his lips lingering on her skin. It felt like there was a magnetic force constantly pulling them together and it was useless to fight it.

"Hmm, just a few more minutes." She snuggled closer to him, kissed his shoulder softly.

"Alright." He yawned, his arm tightening around her.

Soon they were both asleep.

* * *

><p>"Aunt Kate?"<p>

She heard a child's voice calling her, but it sounded so far away. Maybe if she ignored it, it would eventually go away.

"Aunt Kate?"

This time the voice sounded like it was closer and she felt small hands shaking her shoulder. Opening her eyes groggily, it took her a few seconds to focus on the little boy kneeling down next to her. His hair was a complete mess and he was rubbing his eyes sleepily. For a moment, she allowed herself to wonder if that's what life was like when you were a mother. Would her child do that as well? Did all kids do that to their parents? She couldn't remember if she had when she was little.

"Are you awake, Aunt Kate?" His voice now carried a layer of impatience now.

"Tommy. Hi, sweetie." She reached up and brushed his hair away from his forehead. "Did you sleep well?"

He nodded and she patted the space next to her for him to lie down. He immediately followed her instructions, his head resting on her shoulder.

"Have you been up long?" she asked quietly so not to wake Castle, who was still sleeping soundly with his arm around her waist. Tommy shook his head.

"I wanted to watch cartoons, but I wasn't sure if I could." He explained with a shrug and Kate smiled.

"Of course you can, buddy." She stretched her body lazily and felt Castle's hold on her tighten. Touching his hand lightly to reassure him that she was still there, she turned back to the child next to her. "Do you want any breakfast?"

"Yeah." He nodded and snuggled closer to her with a yawn.

"Do you want to sleep a little bit longer?" she asked with a smile as she watched his eyes droop.

"Can I stay here in the fort?" he asked sleepily and Kate nodded, placing a kiss on his messy hair.

"I'll come get you when breakfast is ready." She told him, but he was already out.

With a sigh, she decided to get a move on and try to find something to feed the kid with. She was almost sure that there was nothing breakfast wise in her fridge, though. Whatever, she would just go down to the grocery store and buy a few things. Were they already open?

Sitting up, she checked her watch. It was 9:15. Maybe she could just run to that little café down the street and get him a hot chocolate and a few pastries.

"Kate?" she heard Rick calling behind her and turned around. "Where are you going?" he asked groggily, his eyes barely open.

"I'm getting us breakfast. Go back to sleep." She leaned down and kissed his lips lightly. "Tommy is here." She murmured against his lips when he tried to deepen the kiss. "You guys sleep. I'll be back soon."

"Are you sure?" he pulled her down for another brief kiss and she smiled.

"Yeah. You boys stay here. Anything specific I can get you?" she asked as she made her way out of the fort and looked back at him.

"Coffee." He yawned and she chuckled.

"Alright, sleepyhead. I'll be right back."

Standing up, she looked around the living room for her shoes for a moment, locating them near the door. Quickly slipping on the pair of flat boots – yes, she did own shoes without heels – she grabbed her keys and her purse and went back to the couch to grab her coat.

Just as she was zipping up her coat, someone knocked on her door. Frowning, she made her way to the door, wondering who it could possibly be out there on a Saturday morning. When she looked through the peephole, she remembered.

Lanie.

Shit.

They were supposed to have breakfast together today. Damn it. She completely forgot.

Taking a deep breath, she prepared herself for the endless questions that were sure to be fired her way as soon as her friend found out that Castle had slept over.

"Hey, girl. Thought you were still sleeping for a second there." Lanie teased as soon as Kate opened the door. "Ready to go?"

"Uh, Lanie, about today…" she started, but Lanie interrupted her.

"Oh, don't tell me you forgot."

"Kind of. And I'm babysitting for Maddie. I'm so sorry, I completely forgot we had plans." She apologized sheepishly.

"Well, how long is the kid staying here for?"

"Maddie is picking him up some time this morning, so I can't really go anywhere until then." She explained.

"How come are you all dressed to go out then?" Lanie asked confused, gesturing to Kate's coat and boots.

"Oh, I was going to go get us some breakfast. I have nothing to feed a 5-year-old here." She explained, praying that her friend would leave it at that.

"And you were leaving the little tyke by himself?"

Shit. Now how was she supposed to get out of this one without telling her that Castle was sleeping inside the fort that was currently taking up a third of her living room?

"Not really?" she said, but it came out almost as a question. Then with a sigh, she told her the truth. "Castle is in there with him. I'd never leave a little kid alone in my apartment, Lanie. I'm not that clueless."

"Really?" A wide, knowing grin spread on Lanie's face and Kate willed herself not to blush and give everything away. "And just what exactly is Castle doing here on a Saturday morning, my dear Detective Beckett?" she asked, a teasing tone to her voice.

"Can we put the interrogation on hold for now, Lane? I really have to go buy something for the kid to eat." She let out a breath, hoping Lanie would just take a hint for once and not push for more information.

"But, Kate, this definitely ranks as high priority on my list. We can do both, come on." Kate rolled her eyes and closed the door behind her. "Castle in your apartment on a Saturday?"

"He is my friend, you know. We do hang out outside of work." She told her, exasperated.

"Really? That's news to me."

Kate could see the mischievous glint in her friend's eyes and sighed. There was no getting out of the third degree this time. Damn it.

"He came over last night and helped me out with Tommy. Then it was too late for him to drive home, so he crashed here. In the living room." Kate explained slowly as if she was talking to a small child.

"And that's it?" Lanie sounded disappointed and Kate willed herself with all her might not to blush.

"Yup. Sorry to disappoint you, Lanie." She offered her friend a grin.

"You guys are no fun."

They stepped into the elevator and Kate sighed in relief. Crisis number one averted.

* * *

><p>When they returned to Kate's apartment carrying coffee trays and a package with pastries, Castle was still asleep. Tommy, on the other hand, was lying down on the floor, by the entrance of the massive fort they had built the night before, watching cartoons.<p>

"Hi, Aunt Kate." He waved at her and turned his attention back to the television in front of him.

"Hi, sweetie. Where's Rick?" she asked and Tommy pointed to the fort. "He's still sleeping? Seriously?" The boy nodded and Kate shook her head. He was incorrigible. "Hey, Tommy? My friend Lanie here has some breakfast for you. Why don't you go get it?" she suggested and Tommy ran to the kitchen.

After making sure Lanie was distracted with the boy, Kate entered the fort and poked Castle's side gently.

"Five more minutes." He mumbled and she smiled, shaking her head again.

"Rick." She shook his shoulder and he finally opened his eyes to look at her.

"Oh, hi." He immediately smiled when he realized it was her there with him. "Morning." He whispered and pulled her down for a kiss.

"Lanie is here, Rick. We can't do this right now." She told him after giving him a quick kiss.

"Seriously?" he groaned and she nodded, touching his stubbly cheek. "This sucks. Who invited her?" he pouted and she chuckled.

"I forgot I had plans with her today. By the way, I told her you slept here, but that absolutely nothing happened." She told him and he nodded. "I just wanted to keep this between us for now. Is that okay?" she asked, unsure of his reaction.

"As long as I get to be with you, I'm okay with anything." He whispered and kissed her palm.

"Why, Mr. Castle, I never pegged you for a romantic." She teased him and he pulled her down for another kiss, this time taking her breath away.

"You haven't seen anything yet, Detective." He said huskily and kissed her again.

"Guys, breakfast is ready." Lanie's voice made them jump apart as if they had been burned.

"We'll be right there, Lanie." She called out and pulled him to a sitting position. "Come on, Writer Boy. Don't give us away." She narrowed his eyes at him and he leaned in, pressing a kiss to her jaw.

"Don't worry. I can be very convincing." He promised her and crawled out of the fort. "That was a pretty cool fort we built, Tommy." He told the boy, who was sitting on the floor drinking his hot chocolate, eyes glued to the screen in front of him.

"Yeah, it's awesome. Can we do it again some other time, Rick?"

"Sure, if that's alright with your Aunt Kate. You gotta ask her." Rick told him and pointed at Kate, who was making her way to the kitchen.

"Aunt Kate?" he asked hopefully.

"As long as you boys put everything back where it belongs, go ahead." She told them, her eyes locking with Rick's across the room. He smiled at her and she smiled back involuntarily. He seemed to have that effect on her.

"Thanks, Aunt Kate. You're the best." Tommy called out from his spot in front of the TV and Kate chuckled.

"Looks like you've got a fan there, Kate." Lanie teased her and Kate rolled her eyes.

"She was great with him last night. You should've seen her." Rick said and sat down at the kitchen table. Kate handed him his coffee. He smiled at her and winked. "Good morning, Dr. Parish."

"Good morning, Mr. Castle." Lanie answered in the same teasing tone. "Care to share what brings you here this fine Saturday morning?"

"The little one over there." He pointed at the kid behind him. "Kate said she didn't know anything about kids, but she was totally better than me." He grinned and took a sip of his coffee, moaning a little as the caffeine hit his system.

"Really? And what did you guys do?" she asked, mischief lacing her voice.

"We went out to eat. Rick took us to this diner and they had the best burger in the world." Tommy explained, suddenly appearing behind Kate. "Can I have one of those, Aunt Kate?" he asked, pointing at one of the croissants.

"Go ahead, sweetie." She handed him the croissant and he smiled his thanks.

"What else did you guys do last night, Tommy?" Lanie asked innocently and Kate looked at Rick, worried.

"I fell asleep on the way back. When I woke up again, I was thirsty so I asked Aunt Kate for some water. And then Rick and me built the fort." He told Lanie excitedly.

"Did you have fun?" she asked him and he nodded happily, chewing his breakfast.

"I even got to sleep in the fort for a little while today." He added after swallowing. "Rick and Aunt Kate were already sleeping in there and then Aunt Kate let me stay there with them."

"That's really nice, sweetie." Lanie told him, apparently satisfied with his answers.

"I'm going to tell Jamie about this fort so we can build one like that in her house." He turned to Rick.

"I'm sure she's going to think it's really cool." Rick told him and ruffled his hair.

"Who's Jamie? Girlfriend?" Lanie nudged his side and he laughed.

"No, she's my best friend. Just like Aunt Kate and Rick." He explained and Lanie nodded, stealing a glance at Kate, who was busy eating a croissant. "But we don't kiss like they do. It must be a grown up thing, right, Rick?" Tommy turned to Rick, who was looking back at him, eyes wide.

Kate almost choked on her coffee and the hot liquid burned down her throat.

"Yeah, it's a grown up thing, little man." He told him and stood up. "How about we start cleaning up the mess we made last night? Your mom will be here soon." He led the boy back to the living room and turned back to Kate, who was glaring at him. He shrugged apologetically.

Lanie laughed at the silent exchange between the two and turned to her best friend.

"I totally knew that what you told me before was total bullshit, Kate Beckett. You can't lie to save your life, girl."

Damn it.

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><p><strong>AN: Love it? Hate it? Tell me what you think?**


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